Top 10 Most Hard-to-Find LEGO Sets

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#10: Death Star II (10143)

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Star Wars sets could easily fill half of this list, but we’re kicking things off with this colossal Death Star model, measuring 25 inches high, 19 inches wide, and totalling 3,500 pieces. This set is modeled after the partially constructed Death Star in Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and as it was only on sale for about 2 years, from 2005 to 2007, before being discontinued, it’s quite rare, and has become very sought after by big build and Star Wars fans alike. A brand new Death Star II set will likely cost you somewhere in the region of $2.5-$3k. And to think, it’s technically not even a complete set, what with it being under construction still. Bummer.

If you’re setting up a permanent LEGO build cave at home, this is one of those must-have centerpieces. Unfortunately, you’re going to struggle to get your hands on it, and if you do find one, you’ll have to cough up around $4,000 for the privilege, for a brand new one anyway. This 1990’s Monorail set belongs to the Town Airport series, and it is seriously extensive. There’s two battery-powered cars that loop the track, two ground-level stations, nine minifigures and a whole host of intricate detailing, like lockboxes, street lamps, a phone booth and even a hamburger stand. The construction of this set was ultimately outsourced to a company that went bust, and the tools for making the set were then lost. As can be seen here, LEGO collector and speed builder AustrianBrickFan was lucky enough to get his hands on one and build it.

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#8: TMNT Antonio’s Pizza-Rama (COMCON041-1)

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This is the first of the exclusive, promotional-style sets on this list, and it’s a doozy. This humble slice was part of a New York Comic Con promotion in 2012 for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It features pepperoni, its own pizza box and totals just over 50 parts. It may only be a small set, but it is super rare - in fact, we only have a rough estimate on value because of its rarity - and that’s around $4,000. Imagine what a full LEGO pizza would cost! It’s a little unconventional, but it’s a good example of how the price of rare grab-it-before-it-goes LEGO sets can sky-rocket in price.

The thing you must know about connectable modular buildings from LEGO, is that one set can completely tie your entire collection together. This 2007 Creator Expert series Cafe Corner build, is one of those sets. This corner build has just over 2,000 pieces and features a cafe on the bottom floor and hotel accommodation above - and these different floors can be lifted up to help you peer in and place your minifigures. The detail in this set is superb and it’s simply beautiful to look at. As it was discontinued after just two years, it’s really rare and expensive too - with prices ranging anywhere from $1k-$2.5k.

Considering that only 53 copies of this set were ever made - and that they were given as gifts to attendees of a 2012 LEGO HQ tour, the chances of getting your hands on it are slim to absolute zero. What we love about this 795 piece set is that it pays homage to the first plane bought by the LEGO group in 1962, which adds a tasty bit of history to the scarce build. Price wise, you’re looking at around $.5k, if you’re lucky. The set itself is pretty cool, complete with a watchtower, minifigs, some neat accessories and of course, the Piper Airplane.

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#5: Grand Carousel (10196)

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We’ve got another awesome speed build by AustrianBrickFan next, and this set gives us serious Disneyland vibes, and it’s probably one of the most iconic builds of the Creator Expert series. The Grand Carousel measures a fairly whopping 15 inches square, features over 3,000 pieces and nine mini figures. The best part however is that it can spin, play music and bob up and down just like a real merry-go-round, thanks to featuring its own motor and sound brick. This 2009 set had an extremely limited production run of about a year, and can be found on eBay for around $2.5k-$3k.

At its time of release in the year 2000, this LEGO Lady Liberty was the largest LEGO set ever, standing around three feet tall and being made up of 3,000 pieces. The detail and likeness are exquisite, and while tons of landmark-style sets are readily available off the shelf nowadays, that wasn’t the case back in 2000 - so this set was pretty special when it hit stores. Unfortunately, it was only on shelves for about two years, making it rare and expensive - and we’re jealous that YouTuber BrickTsar managed to get his hands on this and make it himself. You can expect to pay anywhere from $4.5k-$5k dollars for one of these - or you could always get the mini version for about $100.

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#3: Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon (10179)

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One of the big reasons this 2007 set sits near the top of our list is because of its sheer size. Sure, it’s a rare set, only being sold for two years and demanding an eBay bidding war price of anywhere from $3k-$7k dollars - but its real allure is its immense detail and behemoth size. David from the Solid Brix Studios YouTube channel can be seen checking out the amazing interior and exterior detailing here, and for Star Wars fans, it’s hard not to drool over it. When it went on sale, it was the most expensive and largest LEGO set ever, with just over 5,000 pieces. There have been other LEGO Millenium Falcon sets released since this one, but this is the holy grail. This ship’s interior and exterior detailing, as well as its killer Obi-Wan, Han, Leia, Luke and Chewy minifigures, make it almost impossible to beat on the coolness scale.

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#2: Ole Kirk's House (LIT2009)

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For those who didn’t know, Ole Kirk Christiansen is the OG and founder of LEGO. So it seems fitting that a model of his house should go for mega bucks, right? This was another LEGO Inside Tour set gifted to attendees of a 2009 tour, and it was limited to just 32 copies. The build is a steller representation of Ole’s home in Billund, and for diehard LEGO fans, would no doubt be ranked as one of the greatest sets ever. We’d expect you’d pay somewhere close to $10k if you could ever find one. And if you’ve just fallen in love with this set, then you’ll be glad to know it was re-released in 2012 under the reference 4000007.

Not only is this one of the rarest LEGO sets ever, but it’s arguably the most unique. It’s a 795 piece LEGO replica of a brick moulding machine from the LEGO factory - and only 68 of them were ever produced, given to those who attended the LEGO Inside Tour in May 2011. Not to be confused with the 2021 Brick Moulding Machine set, reference 40502, this gifted Moulding Machines set is almost impossible to find - with one example selling for around $10,000 on eBay. Rarity aside, it’s a cool meta-style set that gives an insight into the LEGO production process, and is a uniquely detailed build that would no doubt be an absolute pleasure to complete.